Category: General

• The 2025 Toyota bZ4x costs $38,465
• Toyota gave the bZ4x a $6,000 price cut; Limited trims are now $5,380 less expensive
• EPA range ratings should max out at 252 miles

Expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships early next year, the 2025 Toyota bZ4x gets a price cut, as well as more driver-assist features and a new Nightshade Edition grade.

The base price of the entry-level XLE is now $38,465 with the $1,395 destination charge. That is $6,000 lower than the equivalent 2024 model.

The Limited grade now starts at $43,195 with destination, which is a $5,380 price cut. Limited models replace the XLE’s 18-inch wheels with 20-inch rolling stock, and add convenience features like power front seats with heating and cooling. For 2025, traffic jam assist, lane change assist, and front cross-traffic alerts are now standard on Limited models as well.

2025 Toyota bZ4x

Also new for 2025 is a Nightshade Edition that brings the blackout treatment previously seen on Toyota hybrids to the all-electric bZ4X for $41,815 with destination. Based on the XLE grade, Nightshade models add black 20-inch wheels, as well as a black rear spoiler, door handles, and badges, on the outside, and red contrast stitching on the inside.

A single-motor front-wheel-drive powertrain rated at 201 hp remains standard. Dual-motor all-wheel drive, with a bump to 214 hp, is a $2,080 option on the XLE and Limited grades, and standard on the Nightshade. Single-motor models continue with a 71.4-kwh battery pack using cells from Panasonic, while dual-motor models have a 72.8-kwh pack with CATL cells.

Toyota expects unchanged EPA range ratings, maxing out at 252 miles for single-motor XLE models. That drops to 228 miles for dual-motor XLE models. With their bigger wheels, Limited models should remain at 236 miles with the single-motor powertrain and 222 miles with the dual-motor powertrain. The latter number also applies to Nightshade models.

Introduced for the 2023 model year, the bZ4x is a virtual twin of the Subaru Solterra, and is also closely related to the Lexus RZ. It remains the only EV in Toyota’s U.S. lineup, but that will change soon as the automaker looks to start U.S. EV production within the next two years.

• Production of the Audi Q8 E-Tron ends Feb. 28
• It’s unclear if 2025 Q8 E-Trons will arrive in the U.S.
• Audi’s EV lineup will continue with the Q4 E-Tron, Q6 E-Tron, A6 E-Tron, and E-Tron GT

Audi will stop Q8 E-Tron production two months into the new year, bringing an end to the electric SUV that—in its original E-Tron form—ushered in Audi’s electric era.

First reported by Reuters, the factory in Brussels, Belgium, that builds the Q8 E-Tron will shut down by Feb. 28. Audi had been seeking to sell the Belgian plant, and a shutdown has seemed likely since November, when the automaker told Reuters that it had been unable to find a buyer. And Automotive News reported in July that the Q8 E-Tron might be on the chopping block.

2025 Audi Q8 E-Tron

Now we know that the Q8 E-Tron is indeed on the way out, as production will not be shifted to another plant. While Audi has already announced 2025-model-year pricing, a spokesperson told Green Car Reports that all vehicles currently in the automaker’s U.S. inventory are 2024 models. The availability of 2025 models will depend on whether any remaining production is allocated to the U.S.

Audi was only planning small changes to feature content for 2025, plus a $600 base-price bump to $76,095 (including a $1,295 destination charge).

2025 Audi Q8 E-Tron

The Q8 E-Tron was only launched for the 2024 model year, as a heavy update of the Audi E-Tron, the automaker’s first volume EV. It carried over all the good things from the E-Tron—including good safety ratings—but with somewhat sharpened handling and more driving range. It achieved up to 300 miles of EPA range in sleeker Sportback form with the efficiency-focused Ultra Package, but that option was due to be discontinued for 2025, knocking range down to 272 miles.

While the Q8 E-Tron shares its MLB platform with gasoline models, Audi now has multiple dedicated EV platforms at its disposal. The entry-level Q4 E-Tron shares with MEB platform with Volkswagen EVs like the ID.4, the E-Tron GT is based on the same J1 platform as the Porsche Taycan, and the incoming Q6 E-Tron and A6 E-Tron use the same Premium Platform Electric (PPE) as the Porsche Macan EV. PPE will likely serve as the basis for Audi EVs going forward—including any potential replacement for the Q8 E-Tron.

Ford and SK On will receive a $9.63 billion government loan for their BlueOval SK battery joint venture, according to a report Monday from Reuters.

The news ups the original loan amount, which was $9.2 billion, reported in June by The New York Times.

The Department of Energy loan—the largest so far by the Biden administration related to EV manufacturing—will help finance construction of battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Ford announced the plants in 2021, quoting a record $11.4 billion investment and the creation of nearly 11,000 new jobs at the two mammoth manufacturing complexes. The automaker and SK On said in 2021 that the BlueOval SK joint venture would target 60 gigawatt-hours of annual battery cell production by the middle of the decade.

BlueOvalSK Battery Park – rendering, September 2021

The plans include Blue Oval City, in west Tennessee, and BlueOval SK Battery Park, with twin battery plants at the same site, in central Kentucky. Ford said in 2021 that it would build both complexes, and planned to have them operational by 2025.

Blue Oval City encompasses not only a battery plant, but also a supplier park and vehicle assembly plant that will produce electric trucks, including the next-generation F-150 Lightning. SK On is already manufacturing cells for the current-generation Lightning in Georgia.

The BlueOval SK Battery Park complex in central Kentucky will consist of two battery plants producing cells for future Ford and Lincoln EVs.

BlueOvalSK Battery Park – rendering, September 2021

In addition to the BlueOval SK complexes, Ford in February announced a deal with CATL for a $3.5 billion battery plant in Marshall, Michigan. The automaker also continues to assemble the Mustang Mach-E in Mexico using LG cells sourced from a factory in Poland.

The Energy Department loan is the largest so far under a revived program once used by the Obama administration to fund Tesla, Nissan, and Ford, among others, but ignored by the Trump administration. Under President Biden, the Energy Department has extended a $2 billion loan to Tesla veteran JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials battery-recycling company and a $2.5 billion loan to General Motors’ Ultium Cells LLC battery joint venture with LG.

Note – This story was update to reflect a new loan amount as of December

Lamborghini is delaying its first fully electric model by a year, hoping that market conditions will be more favorable at that time, Reuters reports.

“We do not think 2029 is late to have an electric cars,” CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Reuters and other media outlets Monday at Lamborghini’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy. “We do not think that, in our segment, the market will be ready in 2025 or 2026.”

Lamborghini Lanzador concept

Winkelmann said Lamborghini is also waiting for regularity clarification in Europe. In 2026, the European Union is scheduled to undertake a review of its plan to phase out sales of new internal-combustion vehicles by 2035 that Winkelmann believes could give Lamborghini an out from going all-electric.

“There are discussions around synthetic fuels and this is an opportunity for our kind of cars,” the Lamborghini CEO said.

In 2023, Lamborghini confirmed that its first EV would be a 2+2 grand tourer targeting 300 miles of range and a comfortable rear seat. It subsequently previewed this model with the Lanzador concept, announcing a 2028 target launch date.

Lamborghini Lanzador concept

Lamborghini has maintained throughout that its signature supercars will be the last to go electric. The automaker plans to stick with plug-in hybrid powertrains in those models for now, while reserving all-electric powertrains for other vehicle types. That view is shared by rival McLaren. In 2023, the British automaker’s CEO said he didn’t expect an electric supercar to be viable until 2030.

Meanwhile, Lamborghini’s traditional rival, Ferrari, is moving ahead with plans for its own $500,000 EV. Due for a later 2025 reveal, the electric Ferrari will be assembled at a new factory just north of the automaker’s existing campus in Maranello, Italy.

• Base price of $34,270 secures a 200-mile EPA range from less than 50 kwh
• Fast-charging times lag Hyundai’s E-GMP (Ioniq) EVs, but V2L adds usefulness
• Smart interior design, latest infotainment system amount to a modern look and feel 

The Hyundai Kona Electric is one of Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy 2025 finalists, and it exemplifies a formula that’s in short supply in today’s U.S. electric vehicle market: that of the roomy, affordable small car that makes good driving range from a relatively modest battery pack.

The Kona Electric isn’t built on a dedicated electric-vehicle platform, but it might be mistaken for it. Despite its 171.5-inch length, the Kona Electric can fit four adults comfortably—or five in a pinch. Packaging is smart, allowing a roomy 25.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 63.7 cubic feet when folded forward. 

This time around, the Kona Electric outshines gasoline versions of this small-car family in performance, ride, and refinement, with all but the base SE getting a perky 201-hp electric motor at the front wheels. It drives with a lean, responsive feel, and its crisp, modern displays and switchgear feel directly inherited from Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 EVs. All models get a large 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a built-in wifi hotspot, over-the-air update capability, and V2L (vehicle-to-load) compatibility in all versions offers up to 3.6 kw of AC power for worksite tools, camping accessories, and more. 

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric

The Kona Electric runs on 400 volts, unlike those 800-volt Ioniq models and their E-GMP platform, but its DC fast-charging time of 43 minutes from 10-80% is respectable for urban commuters who take the occasional highway trip. 

With the Chevrolet Bolt EV on hiatus until at least late calendar-year 2025 and the 2026 model year, the Kona Electric is the closest modern-EV alternative, landing in a corner of the market—high value, small size—that’s otherwise not well represented in the American market. The Kona Electric starts at $34,270, including the $1,395 destination fee. That’s for the SE, with the 48.6-kwh battery pack and 200-mile EPA range rating. SEL models, which step up to the 64.8-kwh battery pack and 261-mile range rating, cost $38,270, get heated front seats and a power driver seat, and are probably the sweet spot of the lineup for most considering this model. 

Sporty N Line versions start at $40,270, and get various sporty cosmetic upgrades plus Bose premium audio, while top $42,445 Limited versions have a hands-free tailgate, a surround-view camera system, and several additional active-safety systems. At that price, however, you run into some of the same value-for-money hurdles we’ve pointed out for the Kia Niro EV.

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric

Competition is sparse—only the dated Nissan Leaf; the Fiat 500e, which is a two-door model; and the Mini Countryman SE ALL4, which starts at $46,195 and is now a larger vehicle than the Kona. The overdue-and-delayed Volvo EX30, which was due to start at $36,245 will make an especially strong rival to the Kona Electric, when it does arrive. 

Does the Hyundai Kona Electric make a big enough impact on the EV market to top the other four Best Car To Buy 2025 Finalists? Check back Jan. 6.

While many Americans aspire to own an RV, renting from companies like Cruise America is also a popular option. Now a Silicon Valley startup aims to offer an electric alternative.

RollAway broke cover in 2023, announcing plans to rent out a fleet of electric RVs based on General Motors BrightDrop vans. It’s now accepting online reservations as of this week, Electrek reported, although the website notes that rentals appear to already be almost entirely booked up through fall 2025.

RollAway electric RV rentals

Reservation holders will get the key fob to an electric RV with what RollAway estimates is 270 miles of range, more than the 250 miles the startup originally quoted in 2023. The conversion incorporates a roll-open rear door that creates a large picture window when opened, and RollAway plans to offer hotel-like add-ons like a virtual concierge, breakfast packages, and toiletries and spare bedding to order.

While the rental angle is new—and taps into a large potential market—RollAway isn’t the first company to use GM’s BrightDrop vans for RV conversions. Detroit-based startup Grounded announced its own, less luxurious BrightDrop RV in 2023.

RollAway electric RV rentals

Mercedes-Benz vans have long been popular RV candidates, and the automaker aims to keep that momentum going with its next-generation electric vans debuting in 2026.

Conversions of commercial vans still result in vehicles smaller than traditional motorhomes, and fully-electric versions of those behemoths may be a bit further out, mainly due to charging infrastructure that isn’t scaled to these larger vehicles. In the meantime, plug-in hybrid RVs like the demonstrator shown by Airstream owner Thor Industries earlier this year could provide an electric motorhome alternative while addressing the charging conundrum.

• The 2026 Mercedes CLA EV gets true one-pedal driving

• Mercedes put a focus on efficiency and energy recuperation with the CLA EV

• Mercedes hasn’t said how much the 2026 CLA EV will cost; it debuts in 2025

Up until now, many automakers have chosen to dial back regenerative braking in EVs because of concerns over stability on slick roads. 

Mercedes-Benz is breaking from that thinking in its future EVs, starting with the next-generation system that will debut in future EVs starting with the CLA EV. 

During a brief ride in a 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV prototype in the Austrian Alps, Timo Stegmaier, senior manager of electric drive systems for Mercedes, and Tom Steller, a spokesperson for the automaker, demonstrated the next-gen EV’s braking and propulsion systems in near-whiteout blizzard conditions. 

Here’s what I learned.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV prototype

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV focuses on one-pedal driving

The Mercedes team emphasized that it’s heard feedback from customers and media alike, loud and clear, regarding the EQE and EQS EV’s braking systems and their moving friction point and unpredictably varied pedal feel. 

They started out as some of the worst brakes on the market and have, through software updates, become…acceptable. That won’t be the case with the CLA EV, I was told. In November Mercedes engineers confirmed to Green Car Reports the brake pedal in the CLA EV will never move unless the driver touches it.

The CLA EV will have three regenerative braking modes including D-, D, and D+. A fourth bonus mode will be D Auto. Full one-pedal max regen kicks in with D- mode, which we used the entire prototype drive, and the others subsequently lessen the regen. 

D Auto mode automatically adjusts the regenerative braking system for the conditions. In the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E 53 Hybrid, for instance, it’s tied into the adaptive cruise control and safety systems to be fully variable. It’s not consistent or predictable. But it’s unclear as of yet how D Auto works in the CLA EV.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV prototype

The mountain roads were covered in blowing snow over black ice. No matter how quickly Stegmaier selected the most aggressive brake regen with D-, and let off the accelerator, but the Michelin Alpin 5 winter tires never seemed to break traction. The regenerative braking system used the next-gen MMA electric architecture’s PCUs and ECUs to react instantaneously and adjust accordingly. The car pointed straight under braking and mid-turn didn’t change composure. Very impressive. Some humans aren’t this smooth in these conditions.

For reference, Snow or Winter or Slippery Conditions drive modes in almost all EVs on sale today typically reduce or disable regenerative braking. This is to ensure the tires don’t break traction and the car remains stable on slippery surfaces. 

A Mercedes spokesperson told GCR that Stegmaier’s recommendation to use max recuperation in slippery conditions is specific to the CLA EV because of its use of next-gen sensors. The system in the CLA is designed to automatically adjust to road conditions, optimizing safety and efficiency instantaneously. From what I observed it did just that. 

The EQE and EQS lineup use different platforms, electrical architectures, and sensor packages along with control systems and software. These current EVs manage traction and braking behaviour differently, and aren’t as focused on maximizing recuperation or efficiency in real time.

The CLA’s capable of 200 kw of recuperation before engaging the friction brakes. Stegmaier told me that the CLA EV prototype never used the friction brakes during our drive. Impressive.

That energy goes back into the 85.0-kwh (usable) battery pack through an 800-volt electrical architecture. Mercedes said fast-charging will top out at 320 kw and the CLA EV will be capable of adding 186 miles of range in 10 minutes. That’s starting out at a 10% state of charge, and translates to approximately 36 kwh of energy. Charging from 10-80% will take less than 22 minutes. There will also be an 11.0-kwh onboard charger for Level 2 AC charging.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV prototype

2026 CLA EV feels quick, comfortable, and planted

When Stegmaier put the accelerator to the floor the tires didn’t spin. The CLA EV prototype simply shot forward, but given the conditions the engineer didn’t keep the pedal buried long. The car remained pointing forward despite the slippery surface, I didn’t see the steering wheel tug in either direction, and seemingly, the electronics adjusted power in real time for the conditions.

The dual-motor prototype has Mercedes’ new EDU 2.0 (Electronic Drive Unit 2.0) hardware under its metal skin, including silicon-carbide inverters. The rear motor is a 268-hp synchronous motor (PSM) paired with a 107-hp motor up front. I couldn’t perceive if the front motor was on or off, but given the conditions it’s hard to imagine it wasn’t engaged most of the time.

Mercedes hasn’t talked about performance, but a 0-60 mph time in the low 4-second range seems about right. Single-motor models will surely be slower and hotter AMG models surely quicker.

Except for the single switchback corner Stegmaier purposely hung the tail out during, it felt from the passenger seat that torque was kept under control partly by soft inputs from the driver. 

The new in-house-designed 2-speed automatic transmission may have shifted into second gear to soften torque delivery. The unit is capable of staying in first gear up to 68 mph, but it’s variable based on conditions and needs. It was smooth and with the blizzard there was a lot to take in quickly.

The prototype rode on a conventional (non-active) suspension, which was comfortable, compliant, and controlled. Stegmaier wouldn’t talk details and didn’t mention whether higher trims or AMG models would offer adaptive dampers, but the prototype I rode in was as comfortable, if not more so, as the larger C300 I had just piloted.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV prototype

2026 Mercedes-Benz EV charts its own course

The exterior of the CLA EV was completely covered in camo, but it clearly looked like the concept that previewed the next-gen EV In 2023. Right down to stars in the LED head and taillights.

Inside the dashboard and door panels were covered in black cloth. Kindly, Mercedes asked me to not comment on what little I saw or touched. But I can say the dashboard seems to be completely different than today’s EQE and EQS lineup. The high-mounted yacht-like setup is gone. The dashboard seems to be short and tight up against the cowl. It reminded me of the Mercedes 190E and W126 S-Class from the ‘80s and ‘90s, or even the G-Class of today.

Mercedes didn’t let me behind the wheel of the CLA, and my time both in and around it was brief. Still, what I saw, experienced, and felt proved Mercedes has listened to feedback about its current EVs, is focused on efficiency, and aims to make the 2026 CLA EV the starting point for its next-gen electric cars. 

Mercedes-Benz paid for travel, lodging, and was shocked I wasn’t cold during a blizzard to bring you this first-hand review.

Massachusetts-based Factorial has introduced a process for manufacturing solid-state battery cells, in the size range that electric vehicles can use, that is also close to what can be used for mass production.

The company has been providing test cells to automakers, but on Thursday announced that it had scaled sample cells to an “automotive-relevant” 40-amp-hour capacity and was using a dry-coating process that it claims maximizes energy density while minimizing operating costs and the environmental impact of battery production.

Factorial solid-state cells

The dry coating process eliminates all hazardous solvents, Factorial said in a press release. The coating process is also less energy-intensive than conventional manufacturing processes, Factorial claims, while the solid-state chemistry eliminates the need for a formation process used with liquid-electrolyte chemistries for a further reduction in energy use.

Factorial noted that it used customized equipment at its Massachusetts development center to establish the dry coating process, but that provides a template for manufacturing at proper battery factories, like the one Factorial announced in 2023. And in terms of durability, Factorial claims smaller prototype cells have already reached over 2,000 charge and discharge cycles.

Rendering of Dodge Charger Daytona test bed for Factorial solid-state battery cells

Factorial counts Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis among its investors. Earlier this year it announced that cells developed in collaboration with Mercedes could boost range by up to 80% through greater energy density. More recently, Factorial confirmed that Stellantis will test its solid-state cells in a fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs starting in 2026.

Other automakers have shown interest in solid-state batteries. Toyota announced earlier this year that it planned to begin manufacturing them in 2026 or soon after, albeit likely in low volumes. But Factorial appears to be making progress toward manufacturing solid-state batteries in commercially relevant volumes.

Once someone buys an electric vehicle, they tend to stick with it, according to a new survey from the Global EV Alliance, which represents EV driver associations in 38 countries.

The survey found that 92% of current owners plan to buy another EV as their next car. Just 1% said they would opt for a gasoline or diesel car if they had to replace their EV tomorrow, while 4% said they would consider a plug-in hybrid as a replacement for their EV.

PHEVs include a gasoline engine, but after already owning a fully electric model drivers might tend toward seeing it as a backup source.

2024 Tesla Model Y. – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

The survey is based on 23,000 responses from 18 countries gathered between Aug. 27 and Nov. 20, 2024. Those results were weighted based on each country’s share of the total EV fleet. For example, U.S. results were weighted up, and Sweden’s weighted down, to reflect the relative size of each country’s share of the EV fleet, the Global EV Alliance explained in a press release.

Low operating costs were the main reason for owners’ loyalty to EVs, with 45% of respondents listing this as their main reason for intending to buy another EV. Other important factors included the lower climate impact of EVs (40%), and that EVs are “good for the local environment and make less noise” (32%).

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Redline Edition

Those results appear encouraging for EV adoption, but with surveys like this there is still much that is up for interpretation, including the phrasing of questions when asking consumers what they plan on buying after their first EV—and whether it truly replaces an EV or another vehicle in the household.

A 2023 study from S&P Global Mobility found that, Tesla aside, nearly half of EV-owning households still purchased an internal-combustion vehicle the next time around, in part due to lack of suitable EV options from non-Tesla brands. And the Department of Energy earlier this year noted that U.S. EVs are driven fewer miles than internal-combustion vehicles, meaning they might not always be serving as like-for-like replacements.

Mercedes-Benz will preview its Van.EA electric van architecture with a concept vehicle this spring.

The automaker confirmed plans for the van concept Friday, releasing a teaser image indicating that, despite its dedicated EV platform, the concept and the next-generation electric vans it heralds will look like exactly what they are.

Van.EA will be the first EV-specific architecture for Mercedes vans, although the automaker currently sells the eSprinter, as well as a handful of smaller Europe-only models, based on combustion-vehicle architectures.

Mercedes-Benz Van.EA prototypes via Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes showed photos of camouflaged prototypes out testing in October ahead of a 2026 production launch. Mercedes intends for every new electric van it introduces after that point to use the Van.EA platform, which is designed around a shared set of components and modules to accommodate midsize and large vans.

Those modules will include three main sections, with front and rear sections able to house electric motors. Single-motor models will be front-wheel drive, but dual-motor all-wheel drive will also be available.

Mercedes-Benz Van.EA prototypes via Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes is also planning for a variety of applications, from work vehicles like cargo vans to a U.S.-bound electric luxury van. Mercedes has also discussed the potential for electric RV conversions, addressing what is already a lucrative market for the automaker’s gasoline and diesel vans.

Van.EA is one of several new EV architectures Mercedes plans to introduce over the next few years, alongside the MMA platform for compact cars like the 2026 Mercedes CLA, and the AMG.EA platform to be used by EVs from the automaker’s AMG performance division, including a fastback sedan and an electric SUV.